Marcus Aurelius on Helping Others

“Some people, when they do someone a favor, are always looking for a chance to call it in.  And some aren’t, but they’re still aware of it — still regard it as a debt.  But others don’t even do that.  They’re like a vine that produces grapes without looking for anything in return.

A horse at the end of the race . . .

A dog when the hunt is over . . .

A bee with its honey stored . . .

And a human being after helping others.

They don’t make a fuss about it.  They just go on to something else, as the vine looks forward to bearing fruit again in season.”